M59Programming Brainstorm

Minicon 59 (2026) will take place April 2-5, 2026, at the RadiShTree.

Our Guests of Honor are

• Author: Patricia C. Wrede
• Gaming: Matt Leacock
• Featured Musicians: Graham and Becca Leathers

THE MINICON 59 PROGRAMMING BRAINSTORM WIKI page

Brainstorming phase is OPEN FOR BUSINESS! This Wiki page is for keeping track of possible programming items for Minicon 59. Typically we only use about half of the ideas we come up with. But if you see something here that interests you, bear in mind that you can increase the likelihood of the idea blossoming into an actual programming item by volunteering for the item, or just by letting us know that you would love to attend.

Contact the Programming Department

Shoot us an email at programming@minicon59.mnstf.org.

If you'd like to submit an idea for a programming item, you can either do it by email or use this nifty form.

STATUS

[Aug 7, 2025] The Programming Committee is just getting its feet under it, so the Brainstorm Page is pretty much a jumble right now. I'm just going to enter the item descriptions we have so far and try to make sense of it later. Ooookay, that's a little better. I think I captured all the great suggestions that have come in through the Ideas Form plus things we thought of during our first Programming Committee meeting. --- sharon

Minicon After Dark

We came up with a lot of ideas for discussions and meetups that need a little more intimate setting than a traditional panel. How about this idea? We could hold these in the evening in the Minicon Bar, or maybe in a nearby side room.

Author Reception

Just an informal meetup with some of the many many authors who attend Minicon. Whether you're just getting started or are working on your 200th published book, you're welcome to join in.

Internet Nostalgia

Let's drink to those fond old Internet memories! Classic memes, platforms, interactive games. Who remembers GeoCities? Second Life? Or if you're even older, Usenet newsgroups like alt.rec.funny. Have another drink and do your best impression of the Dancing Baby!

x Best F&SF Stories According to Us

You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's best SF+F. Bring your lists! Bring your opinions! We will craft the definitive list of the best print SF+F stories of all time (*final count TBD to avoid brawling in the aisles).

Japanese Ro Sham Bo

Rock paper scissors with combat.

UNSORTED

Streaming Service Geekout: What to Watch Next

It's still true - we are living in the golden age of episodic television. I'm still not tired of sharing my favorites and looking for new things to watch. How about you?

Zines: TNG

Wow, look at that! Fanzines are making another comeback! Let's talk about the history of self-published zines - personal or literary or ... something else?

Still Worth Reading

A lot of classic books haven't aged well, for various reasons. Which classics are still worth reading? Which do you only recommend with a serious caveat? Is "period-typical" bigotry worth tolerating?

Getting Published: If I'd Known Then What I Know Now

Just got your first book or story into print? What did you learn along the way? Share the mistakes you made so we don't have to make them ourselves.

The Reading Gender Gap

Men are reading less fiction in general and they tend to read fewer books by women authors. Do these trends hold in fandom?

Echoes of WWII in SF

Many classic science fiction writers were personally impacted by WWII, mentally and physically. What were the immediate and lingering impacts on their writing? Do we still see a legacy in science fiction tropes today?

Star Wars Roundup

Star Wars round-up on recent shows and games set in one of our favorite galaxies.

History of Cats Laughing

Have Emma Bull, Steven Brust, and Adam Stemple tell stories

What Do You Do if an Asteroid is About to Hit Earth?

NASA's Center For Near Earth Object Studies has developed a series of hypothetical scenarios as a training tool for addressing the asteroid impact hazard. These can also be used as a near-future or alternate history science fiction table-top game; either by the members of a panel or by a larger audience.

Mashups and Memes

So what things can be put together and what should never be put together. Shakespeare and Klingons, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, Cats and Kiss,...